Ted Lasso, the hit comedy about a clueless American coach who arrives in the Premier League, returns for its fourth series at a time of crisis for football. After the World Cup was dogged by questions of political interference from the Trump administration, Fifa President Gianni Infantino announced a plan to sell off parts of the World Cup to Wall Street venture capitalists. It has all left the increasing Americanisation of the beautiful game feeling a bit too real. Enter then, again, Ted Lasso.
At the end of the third season, which aired more than three years ago, AFC Richmond narrowly missed out on the Premier League title and Ted (Jason Sudeikis) graciously stood down, so he could return to the US and his young family. Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) took over, Nick Mohammed’s Nate found redemption in returning to the club, and all seemed well. “Been there, done that, got the T-shirt and now I use it to wash my tyres,” Ted announces, at the outset of this new season. He’s working in a supermarket, spinning homey aphorisms and resisting a return to management. But then Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham), Keeley (Juno Temple) and Higgins (Jeremy Swift) arrive in Kansas with a new proposition: the chance to become the first coach of the AFC Richmond women’s team. Soon, Ted is back in south-west London and reunited with his trusty sidekick Coach Beard (Brendan Hunt).
